On Saturday, two in-state rivals who seem to be going in opposite directions will meet on the gridiron with another year of bragging rights on the line.

Michigan (4-3, 2-2 Big Ten) has suffered back-to-back losses for the first time since 2020, falling to Washington and Illinois in a pair of road games. Meanwhile, Michigan State (4-3, 2-2) is coming off its biggest win of the season last week against Iowa, ending a three-game losing streak of its own.

But while the Spartans entered this season expecting a rebuilding year under new head coach Jonathan Smith, the Wolverines expected to compete for championships again in the first season under head coach Sherrone Moore. Instead, Michigan has found it has to do some serious rebuilding on its own.

While this has been a high-profile matchup several times over the past decade-plus, this year’s meeting between Michigan and Michigan State is the first in the series in which neither team is ranked since 2008. It’s also the first time both programs are led by new head coaches in the same year since 1995.

The 117th all-time meeting between the Wolverines and Spartans, this is the 72nd time the two programs have played for the Paul Bunyan Trophy. Michigan has a 73-38-5 all-time record against Michigan State and leads the trophy series, 40-29-2. The Wolverines are a five-point favorite heading into Saturday’s game.

Below, Michigan Wolverines on SI editor Chris Breiler, senior writer Trent Knoop and contributing writer Matt Lounsberry share their thoughts on the game with Two bold predictions, Game previewsand Predictions of final results.

1. Michigan avoids turning the ball over

Turnovers have been a major problem for the Michigan offense this season. In fact, the Wolverines have turned the ball over 15 times through the first seven weeks (9 interceptions, 6 fumbles). With the offense averaging over two turnovers per game, it’s hard to imagine them miraculously finding a way to solve it in Week 8 — especially with the ongoing issues at quarterback. But if you are looking for one bold prediction, I’d say the turnover-avoiding Michigan offense on Saturday would be classified as bold. Very, very bold.

2. Michigan completes a 50+ yard touchdown pass

Again, very bold. We all know Michigan has struggled in the passing game through seven weeks and failed to generate any explosive plays with the wide receivers. While I expect the Michigan offense to spend most of the evening hammering away with a steady dose of Kalel Mullings and Donovan Edwards on the ground, at some point this offense will connect on a deep shot. Saturday night in the Big House against rival Michigan State in a must-win game feels like a good time to make it happen.

1. Kalel Mullings runs 100 yards

It’s time for Michigan to stop trying to prove it can pass the ball — it can’t. Lean back on your attacking identity and run the football with your best player. Kalel Mullings has been over 100 yards three times this season and ran for 87 last week against Illinois. If Michigan chooses to go for the run, I think Mullings could put up over 100 against Michigan State.

2. Aidan Chiles turns the ball over twice

The young sophomore has nine interceptions and four fumbles through seven games this season. He struggles when faced with pressure and that’s something Michigan can do. The Wolverines don’t need to flash to create pressure. Michigan still has one of the best front fours in all of college football. The Wolverine should use a spy and have Chiles hit them with his arm. Get some pressure and Chiles are likely to make a mistake – or two.

1. Michigan scores a defensive touchdown

The Wolverines have struggled to take care of the football all season, but so have the Spartans. Although he has played better thus far, MSU quarterback Aidan Chiles was prone to turnovers early in the season, and I wouldn’t be surprised to see him put the ball in the way at least once in this game. Defensive scores are pretty fuzzy and hard to predict, but I’ll be rooting for Michigan to come up with one on Saturday.

2. The Wolverines are penalized less times than the Spartans

I’m not sure how bold this prediction is, but Michigan has been penalized far more often this season than a year ago, so it will require more discipline on the part of the Wolverines. It will be interesting to see the temperature in Saturday’s game from an emotional point of view. This rivalry has been one of the nastier in college football for a while now, but head coaches Sherrone Moore and Jonathan Smith each seem more reserved than their respective predecessors. We’ll see if it plays out on the field between the two rivals.

As much as I would love to pick the Wolverines to win this one, I just can’t. In fact, it’s hard to imagine how Michigan can win all the games remaining on the schedule with the type of offense we saw last weekend in Champaign. Between the play calling, the poor quarterback play, the turnovers and the inconsistent play on offense, I just don’t have confidence that Michigan’s offense is capable of doing enough to win a football game from now on.

It’s certainly possible the Wolverines can some improvements, but we’re pretty late in the season to expect any tweak that could drastically change what we’ve seen so far. The harsh reality is that this offense isn’t very good, and there’s no quick fix that’s going to change that in 2024. If the same problems show up in Week 8 that we’ve seen in the first seven weeks, it’s likely that Paul Bunyan trophy will be on a bus heading back to East Lansing Saturday night.

Score Prediction: Michigan State 24, Michigan 20

I really don’t know what will happen on Saturday. Michigan State has been better coached and has played better in recent weeks compared to the Wolverines. If the Spartans come into Ann Arbor and leave with a win, I don’t think anyone will be shocked. And while this may be me thinking too highly of the reigning national champions, I think a couple of things bode well for the Maize and Blue.

First, MSU quarterback Aidan Chiles has been as turnover-prone as any Michigan quarterback. Chiles struggles under pressure and that’s one thing the Wolverines defense does a good job of, putting pressure on the opposition. The other factor, Michigan is home. While the Wolverines may not be a great football team, Michigan plays better at home. If the Wolverines can stop turning the football over, I think they can pick up a third straight win over the Spartans.

Score Prediction: Michigan 20, Michigan State 17

Full transparency — I am shocked at the prediction I am about to make. Before the season started, I didn’t think there was any chance Michigan would lose this game this season. That’s because I assumed the Wolverines would have a huge advantage in the line of scrimmage over the Spartans. That remains true on the defensive end, and Michigan’s front seven should have a good day against MSU’s offensive line. However, the Spartans’ own defensive line is better than I thought they would be in Year 1 under Smith, and the Wolverines’ O-line has underperformed. Michigan State has the better quarterback, the better coaching staff and enters the game with momentum. I won’t be shocked by any result we get in this game, but the smart money is on the Spartans based on what we’ve seen from the Wolverines in recent weeks.

Score Prediction: Michigan State 24, Michigan 20

– Enjoy more Michigan Wolverines coverage at Michigan Wolverines On SI –

For additional coverage of University of Michigan athletics: